


Candid

by jewboykahl



Category: South Park
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, M/M, that gay shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:36:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25926763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jewboykahl/pseuds/jewboykahl
Summary: Tweek gets reassurance from his crush's photography skills when he's feeling insecure.
Relationships: Craig Tucker/Tweek Tweak
Comments: 9
Kudos: 86





	Candid

How are you not burning up, Tweekers? It's like 8,000,000 degrees." Clyde says whilst lathering his arms in sunscreen. 

The close-knit group of friends collectively decided to ask for funds for a beach vacation as a graduation present. All seven parents reluctantly agreed after months of begging and realization that their sons were technically all adults. They would spend four days in San Francisco, being transported by airplane and then by the designated drivers of the group, Craig and Token, as Tweek and Clyde were not trusted by their parents to drive in an unfamiliar state (or in general).

Tweek perks his head curiously at his friend, "Is that even possible?"

"Totally," Clyde chuckles. "Take your shirt off, you dork! Or at least learn to button it right, for Christ’s sake."

"I’m fine.” Tweek mumbles, shifting uncomfortably in the plastic chair that sinks further into the soft sand with the slightest movement.

"I command you to swim!"

"Gah, I don't wanna swim, Clyde! Ask Craig.” Tweek twitches before gesturing to their uninterested friend. He sits with sunglasses protecting his eyes as he lay motionlessly under the unfamiliar sun. Funnily enough, he had removed his shirt but refused to remove the beanie he had perpetually worn.

"Nope." Craig shoots back without a second’s hesitation.

Clyde pouts in a defeated tone, "Why would we come to a beach if no one wants to swim?"

"I will, crybaby, Jesus." Token offers, and then stands to his feet and kicks his flip-flops of while simultaneously pulling his blue tank-top over his head to reveal his decently maintained body that basically every guy in their small town of origin was imminently jealous of.

"Thank you!" Clyde sardonically exclaims. The pair strut off to the open water while the remaining two of the group are left in silence that was only broken by Tweek’s occasional grunts of frustration as he continuously lost a game on his iPad due to his shakiness.

"Alright, talk to me. What was that all about?” Craig finally says without turning to address the nervous blond.

Tweek is already blushing, as he always is when he's flustered; or, in other words, alone with the tall, monotone boy he happened to have a sickeningly sweet crush on. "About what?”

Craig peers over at him, sliding his shades from the bridge of his nose and revealing his enticing hazel eyes. "I already know, but why do you refuse to take your shirt off?"

Tweek swallows the lump in his throat, pushing his own sunglasses up the bridge of his nose and shrugging, choosing his phrase tentatively, "I just don’t feel like swimming currently…"

"You're not ugly, Tweek."

Embarrassment tints his cheeks an even more intense red. "I never said I was—!”

“You should really stop falling for my fake sleeping when you decide to wake up and judge yourself in the mirror.” Craig cuts him off, disproving his lie. 

Tweek’s fidgeting worsens, knowing exactly what Craig is referring to. "I-I didn't really, uh, mean that stuff..."

"Really?" Craig propels himself upright and kicks his feet to the side of the chair. "You didn't mean all the stuff you said about being too fat and dumb looking? And how you hate yourself?"

“Craig, I really don't wanna talk—"

"Well, I would like to talk about this."

Tweek’s emerald gaze is hesitant. When they lock in a stare with hazel, however, he’s inexplicably calmed simply by Craig’s soothing expression. He sighs, indicating that Craig continue. He does. "Do you really hate the way you look?"

Tweek is at a shortage for words. He simply and pitifully nods, letting his expression fall to the pure sandy shore and his fingers habitually tugging at a strand of is eccentric light hair.

"Why?" Craig presses, utterly baffled and genuinely in need for a justification.

"I just..." He tries to speak, but that has never been his area of expertise. "I'm not as built as Token or Clyde or skinny as you... I-I have noodle arms and a beer belly and my nose is too pointy, and my eyes are too big and they always have bags, and I’m just really dumb looking."

Craig considers this a moment before shaking his head and letting go of a sarcastic laugh. Tweek frowns, the reaction setting off yet another anxiety bomb within him. “What?”

Craig’s greenish-brown eyes somehow meet Tweek’s _too big_ ones through the sun glasses and actual sun again. "You're stupid."

Tweek puffs out a sigh, ripping his gaze away from the older boy. "Yeah, I know."

Craig pushes himself from his sitting position and turns his neck, allowing the tight joints to make a sickening popping sound. He addresses the twitchy blond boy beside him, “Come on."

Tweek lifts his head and furrows his brow confusedly. "Where?"

"Just follow me." Tweek obliges and takes the hand offered to him for leverage from his companion. The contact makes his heart flutter, and the proximity of his body to Craig’s half-naked one makes the feelings worsen. They weave their way in and around the fellow beach-goers and to the parking lot in which the rental car was left. On entering the vehicle and readjusting his unfit head accessory, Craig glances over at Tweek and watches him climb into the passenger’s seat, still in a state of bemusement. "Are we driving somewhere?" he wonders.

Shaking his head in response, Craig outstretches his hand and to reach into the glove compartment for his iPhone. Tweek silently observes him entering his password and swiping his thumb against the glass screen. He peers back at him, “I'm going to show you something that I have never showed anyone before and you're probably going to think I'm stupid also, but I can't have you hating yourself."

Tweek nods unsuredly. Craig exhales deeply before passing the phone into Tweek’s trembling grasp, sure he’d soon start blushing himself. Tweek took the device and brightened the screen (Craig always turned it all the way down and it bothered him). He stares at the small screen to find an album with pictures of someone whom he recognizes.

Numerous photos of himself light up the screen and he has absolutely no clue when any of them were taken. He scrolls through at least fifty of them, each a candid shot of him acting naturally. They depict Tweek laughing, studying, talking, eating, sleeping, and smiling. “When the hell did any of these happen?”

It's Craig's turn to feel flustered, but he does his best to play it off. “I know, I’m creepy. But, I’m a photographer, I like to take pictures. Especially of you. Sometimes I think to myself, ‘Well, hey, Tweek looks really cute’ and those are the moments.”

Tweek can’t stop himself from grinning ear to ear. He doesn’t find this creepy; he finds it absolutely perfect an adorable—like one of his many Craig-centric fantasies had had come true. “How do I not notice when you take photos of me?”

Craig shrugs as Tweek hands him the phone back. “While you’re not very observant,” he begins and sets the phone between his thighs. He stares straight into the other boy’s big, jade eyes that reminded him of everything wonderful in his world. “You are perfect.”

Tweek automatically drops his head to avoid the implication of his words. Craig leans forward, reaching over to lift Tweek’s chin with his index finger and reconnect their eye-contact. “I’m serious, Tweek. You know I don’t just hand out compliments to anyone. You’re honestly the most perfect person I’ve ever known.”

The worlds alone make Tweek’s stomach twist and heart pound, but he can’t bring himself to believe them. “You don’t have to try and make me feel better.”

“When have I ever done that?”

“Touché…”

Craig smirked. “You don’t have to believe me, but you are. Inside and out. You’re one of the few people in the world that actually care about other people’s feelings and are nice no matter what. You have this amazing personality and if I ever tell you that you suck for staying after class and helping a teacher put up chairs or running back to the door to help someone carry something I do it because I love it and I wish I could be more like you.”

“You’re amazing in your own way, Craig.” Tweek assures him.

“Not like you. And shut up, I’m talking. Anyways, I know people used to call you chubby at school but truth be told you were never really chubby at all. You don’t have a flat stomach and a thigh gap. So what? You weren’t fat then, and you certainly aren’t now. Even if you were, you’d still be so cute. I also happen to really like your big green eyes, your pointy nose, your lips, your hands, your feet, your voice, your everything—you’re just… You’re fucking hot.”

Tweek was smiling like an idiot while Craig blushed like one. “Are you just messing with me?”

Craig rolls his eyes and grants him a half-grin. “Not this time. I mean it.”

Tweek’s glistening eyes wonder down, processing everything Craig’s just told him. Tweek rarely received compliments due to the fact that he normally warded everyone off with his fear of literally everything and coffee addiction. No one had ever said those things, and hearing them from his best friend meant the world to him. “Thank you…”

“Don’t thank me. You mean a lot to me… I don’t want you thinking those things about yourself.”

Tweek nods, wondering if he was stupid for asking what he was about to ask, “Craig… Everything you said, did you mean…”

Craig chokes on the air entering his lungs, knowing what’s coming. He isn’t sure if he’s prepared to openly admit the fact that he’s madly in love with the insecure blond boy sitting adjacent to him and was banking on the hope that Tweek would be too nervous to ask. “Yeah?”

Characteristically, Tweek chickens out at the last second and shakes his head from side to side. “Nevermind. Thanks, dude.”

Craig puts on a relieved smile. “Don’t mention it. To anyone. I don’t want my enemies to discover my weakness.” He tells him with a wink.

Tweek giggles and promises he won’t leak the information. As they head back out to the ocean, there’s about a million things on the tip of his tongue, but fear tells him they’re all better left unsaid.

_

“Hey, man, can I talk to you?” Tweek timidly inquires, regarding Token, who was scrolling through the images he captured of the beach on his iPhone. Token’s eyes flick up to his nervous friend and he sends him an inviting smile.

“For sure. What’s up?”

Tweek twitched, muttering “Oh, Jesus” under his breath. He pulls out a chair from the kitchen table and takes the weight of his feet. He doesn’t exactly know where to begin, so his confession starts out as nothing more than numerous um’s. 

Token chuckles at him, “Any day now,”

“S-Sorry, it’s just hard to talk about…” Tweek winces before clearing his throat and forcing himself to say, “Well, you know I’m sort of… Gay, right?”

Token scoffs, “Sort of?”

“Fuck off. Anyways, I, uh, Recently, I’ve been having these feelings for someone really close to me and I don’t know what to do. I mean, for maybe a year or so now, I don’t know when it really started. It’s not like I haven’t always thought he was cute, I just, I don’t know, didn’t think he was an option, you know? I mean, we’re best friends! But, okay, so, I just sometimes feel like I have a shot and he likes me back and we could do something about it but I always get way too scared of putting myself out there and being rejected and ruining our friendship. I want to so bad, though! He’s so handsome and tall and cool and calming and I just... I want him so badly, I don’t know what to do!”

Token takes a moment to decipher the convoluted soliloquy Tweek performed. “You like Craig?”

“Don’t say it so loud!”

Token rolls his eyes, “Like anyone can hear me! I’m gonna be honest, Tweek, this is kinda… bizarre. I mean, the gay thing is cool, rock on with your bad self, but Craig? Are you sure?”

Tweek, now realizing just how bizarre this really was, nods slowly, “Yeah… I don’t know, I guess not…”

“No, no, I’m just asking. But I don’t know; Craig’s bad at telling people whether or not he’s coming over to hang out, let alone how he feels about you. For all I know, he could be in love with you, too. I just never really thought of you two together like that, wow.”

“Sorry… It’s probably awkward.” Tweek flinches at his keen ability to make people uncomfortable.

“A bit, but it’s alright, we’ll figure it out. Do you want me to teenage girl it and see if he likes you or do you want asking out advice?” Token questions, unsure of what to say at this point. He wants to be supportive, because in the end, these are two of his best friends—it’s just a concept that’s never crossed his mind.

“I’m not sure… I just felt like I needed to tell someone, but I’m not even close to ready to letting Craig know yet… Just thinking about him finding out makes me wanna scream! What if he doesn’t want anything to do with me like that and freaked out and stops being my friend?!”

Token frowns. “I really don’t think Craig cares enough to stop being anyone’s friend if they had a crush on him. I mean, Kenny had a crush on everyone and we still like him. But, you’re a really cool guy, Tweekers. I’m mean, you’re fucking neurotic, but you’re a good person, and you’re good looking. If Craig doesn’t see that, then someone else will.”

Chuckling lightly, Tweek wonders his eyes down to watch himself bounce his leg up and down. He tries to sound less helpless than he feels, “I guess… The thing is I just don’t really want anyone else.”

Token wets his lips. Inwardly constructing a plan, he stands, clapping a hand on Tweek’s vaguely vibrating shoulder. “I got you, man.”

Tweek pins him with a hesitant look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means I’m going to set you two up.”

An electrifying jolt of angst shoots up Tweek’s spine, his eyes widening. “No, no please don’t—“

“Shhh, it’s happening. It’s not like I’m going to walk into his room and say ‘Hey, Tweek’s in love with you, go fornicate with him please and thank you’. Nah, it’s gonna be classy. And it’ll all happen before this vacation is over. A smart goal.”

Tweek releases a panicked chuckle and continues to train a blank, wide-eyed stare on his friend. Token rolls his eyes. “I’ll ease him into the subject and try to find out how he feels about you. All you have to do is try to muster up about 4% of the courage that doesn’t exist within yourself.”

Tweek frowns, slightly offended. “Asshole.”

Token bends over to wrap him in a quick hug then gradually withdraws away as he speaks. “I’m off to talk to your man.” With a wink, he disappears into the next room, leaving Tweek with a sigh and too much on his mind.

_

“Hey, Tweek,” Craig greets the blond on entering the room, not meaning to make his heart beat as hard as it did with his lack of a shirt and sudden enterance.

“Hey,” Comes the other boy’s reply, enlarged eyes carefully following Craig as he searches the couch for the television remote. After retrieving the items of interest, Craig plops down on the couch and flips through the limited channels of the hotel room. 

A few moments of comfortable silence pass by before Craig breaks it. “So, I kind of want to talk to you about something.”

“Oh, sweet Jesus,” Tweek whispers to himself. Breathing is a chore. “Uh, yeah?”

Craig turns towards him but remains unable to look him in the eyes. “So, I was talking to Clyde and Token and they told me it’s time I, quote, ‘Stop being lame’. And I’m pretty sure they lied to me when they told me you felt the same, but I…” Craig trails off and forces hazel to land on an expectant green stare. His heart burdens with the weight of very possible rejection. “I like you. A lot…”

Tweek stares blankly, not sure if he’s still alive or not. This was a lot better to hear than what he was expecting when Craig learned of Tweek’s feelings for him, which teetered anywhere from Sorry, dude, we’re just friends to That’s disgusting! Why would I ever want to be with someone as worthless and annoying as Tweek? “Wow… I-I, uh—“

“No,” Craig begins to correct himself, interrupting Tweek’s stammering. Their eyes don’t leave one another’s. The intensity of the situation makes both of them feel almost sick. Craig’s voice lowers a little but loses no conviction when he says, “I love you.”

Tweek’s mouth falls slightly, unable to form a coherent thought. Craig takes the silence personally; his heart contracting and feeling like the walls are closing in on him. 

“Sorry, that was weird,” He stands up abruptly, fully prepared to sprint away if he had to. Just as he is about to beat a hasty retreat, Tweek grabs for his wrist and impedes his travel. Instead of himself standing like he had planned, Tweek inadvertently trips, bringing Craig down with him. They land on the couch, Craig’s lanky body on top and their faces mere inches from one another’s. They both chuckle softly for a moment and Tweek grins and whispers in a sweet tone rich with sincerity. “I love you.”

Craig’s heart palpitates again, but this time in the best way imaginable. First he smiles widely, “Really?” he wonders like an excited puppy, then amends his behavior and slides back into his normal behavior. “Don’t lie about it if you don’t—“

Tweek can’t help himself anymore. He cups Craig’s cheeks and leans up to press their mouths promptly together. Craig’s eyes widen before they shut tight, losing himself in the coffee flavor of Tweek’s lips. Indescribable relief and passion invades their entireties and makes them grin and giggle against one another’s lips. They kiss and peck and smash their lips together as if the world is going to end. The kiss lasts longer than reasonable, but it eventually ends despite themselves. They pull away, foreheads still pressed against each other’s and heavy breaths combining.

“Finally!” Clyde’s voice exclaims from behind the couch before starting to clap.

Tweek yelps, throwing his arms around Craig’s neck and burying his face in his neck. Craig shoots the clapping asshole a glare and flips him off. Clyde raises his hands in mock submission. “Alright, alright, I know when I’m unwanted. Make it quick, though, we only have one more day of beach fun!”

Craig sighs deeply. “I hate him so much.”

“He scared me!” Tweek exclaims, tentatively removing himself from his hiding place. His bright eyes find Craig’s again and he’s instantaneously soothed.

“Everything scares you.” Craig accuses with a smirk.

Tweek furrows his eyebrows before smiling and winding his arms around Craig’s neck again. “Not everything,” He murmurs before kissing his lips passionately yet again.

“Wait,” Craig mutters, pulling back after another minute of long over-due making out. Tweek whines in protest as the boy reaches into his back pocket and pulls out his iPhone.

“What are you doing?” Tweek mutters.

“Taking a picture of you.” Craig answers, raising the camera and snapping a picture of the gorgeous blond boy who’s lying beneath him before he can cover his face.

“Hey!” Tweek groans, “Craig, delete it! I look terrible right now, I don’t want you to have that! Oh, my god, why would you do that?!”

“Shh, it’s okay, honey.” Craig tells him humorously, drawing closer to the nervous boy’s face and pressing a sweet kiss to the tip of his pointy nose. “I just want to capture this moment, because it’s my favorite.”

Tweek relaxes at his pure intentions and smiles softly. “Okay.” He whispers between intoxicating kisses and cups the nape of Craig’s neck to keep him there as long as time will allow. Maybe being Craig’s unofficial photography model wasn’t as scary or creepy as it seems.


End file.
